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Grade 12th PassPhysical Chemistry

how can we convert nanometers into eV(electron volt)?? pls explain with help of an example??

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8 Years agoGrade 12th Pass
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ApprovedApproved Tutor Answer1 Year ago

To convert nanometers (nm) into electron volts (eV), we need to understand the relationship between wavelength and energy. The energy of a photon can be calculated using the formula derived from Planck's equation, which relates energy to wavelength. Let's break this down step by step.

Understanding the Relationship

The energy (E) of a photon is inversely proportional to its wavelength (λ). This relationship is expressed by the formula:

E = \(\frac{hc}{\lambda}\)

Where:

  • E = energy in joules
  • h = Planck's constant (approximately \(6.626 \times 10^{-34} \, \text{Js}\))
  • c = speed of light (approximately \(3.00 \times 10^8 \, \text{m/s}\))
  • λ = wavelength in meters

Converting Wavelength from Nanometers to Meters

Since the wavelength is often given in nanometers, we first need to convert nanometers to meters. Remember that:

1 nm = \(1 \times 10^{-9}\) m

So, if you have a wavelength of, say, 500 nm, you would convert it to meters like this:

500 nm = \(500 \times 10^{-9}\) m = \(5.00 \times 10^{-7}\) m

Calculating Energy in Joules

Now, we can plug this value into the energy formula. Using the constants for Planck's constant and the speed of light:

E = \(\frac{(6.626 \times 10^{-34} \, \text{Js})(3.00 \times 10^8 \, \text{m/s})}{5.00 \times 10^{-7} \, \text{m}}\)

Calculating this gives:

E ≈ \(3.98 \times 10^{-19}\) joules

Converting Joules to Electron Volts

To convert joules to electron volts, we use the conversion factor:

1 eV = \(1.602 \times 10^{-19}\) joules

Now, we can convert the energy we calculated:

E (in eV) = \(\frac{3.98 \times 10^{-19} \, \text{J}}{1.602 \times 10^{-19} \, \text{J/eV}}\)

This results in:

E ≈ 2.48 eV

Summary of the Process

To summarize, the steps to convert nanometers to electron volts are:

  • Convert the wavelength from nanometers to meters.
  • Use the formula \(E = \frac{hc}{\lambda}\) to find the energy in joules.
  • Convert joules to electron volts using the conversion factor.

So, for a wavelength of 500 nm, the energy is approximately 2.48 eV. This process can be applied to any wavelength to find its corresponding energy in electron volts.